Oklahoma State Cowboys vs Houston Cougars Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 10/17/2026

Game Time: 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, October 17, 2026

Venue:  TDECU Stadium, Houston, TX

Where to Watch:  FOX

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Oklahoma State +4.5, Houston -4.5; Over/Under:  62.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  Oklahoma State +4.5, Houston -4.5; Over/Under:  62.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Oklahoma State +4.5, Houston -4.5; Over/Under:  62.5 points

Oklahoma State Cowboys:  4-1 (2-0) (4th place, Big 12)

Houston Cougars:  5-1 (2-1) (6th place, Big 12)

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Oklahoma State Cowboys:  won their last game at home against the Central Florida Knights 42-28.

Houston Cougars:  won their last game on the road against the Kansas State Wildcats 35-16.

Oklahoma State is entering this game with a 4-1 record overall and they have a 2-0 record in their conference games too. They are 3-0 in their home games, 1-1 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They won their last game against UCF 42-28. Drew Mestemaker was the starting QB and he completed 19/28 passes for 304 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Caleb Hawkins led the team in rushing yards with 83. Justin Bowick led the receivers with 98 receiving yards on 6 receptions and 1 TD. Ethan Wesloski led the defense in that game with 15 tackles while Tate Romney and Vincent Holmes each led the defense in sacks with 0.5. Cameron Epps came away with the only interception for them in that one.

 

 

 

Houston is entering this game with a 5-1 record overall and they have a 2-1 record in their conference games too. They are 3-0 in their home games, 2-1 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They won their last game against Kansas State 35-16. Conner Weigman was the starting QB and he completed 19/30 passes for 242 passing yards, 4 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Re'Shaun Sanford II led the team in rushing yards with 90. Patrick Overmyer led the receivers with 83 receiving yards on 8 receptions and 4 TDs. Kentrell Webb led the defense in that game with 5 tackles while Latreveon McCutchin led the defense in sacks with 1. Jordan Allen came away with the only interception for them in that one.

The current betting odds have Houston listed as a 4.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Houston has looked really good in their games this season with their 5-1 record overall and their 2-1 conference record which has them in the top half of the Big 12. They have looked great on their home field too with their 3-0 home record this season. Meanwhile, Oklahoma State has looked good in their games this season with their 4-1 record overall and their 2-0 conference record which has them right near the top of the Big 12. They haven't been a great road team though with their 1-1 road record this year. Oklahoma State is coming off a 42-28 win over UCF in their last one and they have been rolling lately with their offense putting up a ton of points. Their wins haven't looked as good lately though and they still have a really bad loss to Tulsa to start the year. The offense has been rolling since then, but the defense still hasn't looked great lately and has been giving up a ton of points to weaker opponents. Houston is coming off a 35-16 road win over Kansas State in their last one and they crushed K-State from start to finish. They have been rolling lately too, looking like one of the best teams in the Big 12, and their only loss was a 2 point road loss to Texas Tech who won the Big 12 last season. Houston has been putting up a lot of points all year, so they definitely have the talent to compete with this Oklahoma State offense. Houston does have the stronger defense though and that could be the deciding factor along with the home advantage. The best way to place a bet here is on Houston to cover the spread in this game. 

Oklahoma State Houston Prediction:  Our NCAAF Pick for Saturday, October 17, 2026 (7:30 pm ET start time) is Houston 35 Oklahoma State 28.

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Oklahoma State Cowboys: 10-16 ATS against FBS division opponents. 2-7 ATS when the total is between 56.5 and 63. 4-9 ATS vs. good offensive  teams - scoring 31 or more points/game. 5-0 OVER as an underdog of 3.5 to 10 points. 7-2 OVER when the total is between 56.5 and 63.

Houston Cougars: 20-13 ATS off an upset win over a conference rival as an underdog. 4-1 ATS after a win by 17 or more points. 15-4 ATS when playing with 6 or less days rest. 10-4 OVER as a favorite. 4-1 OVER off a road win against a conference rival.

Oklahoma State Cowboys:  D. Standard (WR) Probable - Undisclosed. J. Sexton (OG) Out - Leg. O. Hammond (TE) Out - Undisclosed.

Houston Cougars:  D. Thomas (DL) Out - Undisclosed. J. Ridgle (RB) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. Strozier Jr. (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. E. Noel (K) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. Thurman (TE) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. Hebert (RB) Out - Leg. M. Tounkara (WR) Out - Foot.

“Super close play. He didn't hesitate. He saw the ball on the ground, he picked it up, scooped it and went and made a play with it. I thought that was kind of where we were able to capture the momentum.” - Eric Morris after his team’s win against UCF in their last game. 

“I’m going to start off with something a little bit different. We got two teams that are ranked playing next Saturday. We need to get as many Coogs out there as humanly possible. It’s going to be great game. (We've) got two fantastic quarterbacks, probably two of the better quarterbacks in the nation.” - Willie Fritz after his team’s win against KSU in their last game. 

WR Bowick, Justin

WR Barnes, Chris

WR Young, Wyatt

TE Kolb, Carson

QB Mestemaker, Drew

RB Hawkins, Caleb

WR Young, Koby

WR Walker, Trent

WR Thomas, Amare

TE Overmyer, Patrick

QB Weigman, Conner

RB Hughes, Makhi

Passing: Drew Mestemaker (1,575)

Rushing: Caleb Hawkins (524)

Receiving: Wyatt Young (462)

Touchdowns: Justin Bowick (5)

Passing: Conner Weigman (1,428)

Rushing: Re'Shaun Sanford II (404)

Receiving: Patrick Overmyer (400)

Touchdowns: Conner Weigman (6)

Coaches:

Oklahoma State Cowboys: Eric Morris (1st season)

Houston Cougars: Willie Fritz (3rd season)